An unprecedented disaster. This is how the Government of Tonga, the small kingdom of 170 islands in the Pacific, has described the situation in its country three days after the devastating eruption of an underwater volcano 60 kilometers from its capital. At least three people have died and an unspecified number are injured, according to the official statement, the first to be issued due to the interruption of communications caused by the catastrophe.
The greatest damage left in this archipelago of 105,000 inhabitants by the eruption of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano, the strongest in the world for three decades, seems to have been recorded in the outer islands, where operations have already begun. evacuation. Among them, that of the island of Mango, one of the worst stops and where the information available, including a preliminary evaluation of New Zealand intelligence cited by the digital of that nationality stuff, point out that their only town has been completely destroyed.
One of the fatalities, a 65-year-old woman, was a resident of that island; another, a 49-year-old man, lived on Nomuka Island. The third deceased person is a woman of British nationality, dragged by the waters when trying to save her dogs, according to New Zealand media.
Images taken by a New Zealand Air Force plane show severe damage to villages, especially on the outer islands of the archipelago. Ash covers airport runways and house roofs. Entire buildings have been uprooted. In Mango, numerous rubble can be seen where the village was located, while on the highest hills some improvised shelters have been installed with tarpaulins.
On other islands, most of the coastal buildings have been destroyed by the tsunami generated after the volcanic eruption. In Nomuka, the buildings that are still standing suffer serious structural damage. Its large lagoon is full of debris.
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Although the main island, Togatapu, where the capital Nuku’alofa is located, has avoided catastrophic damage, the Government of Tonga has reported “significant damage to infrastructure”.
According to the government statement, the assistance work is hampered by the volcanic ash that continues to float in the environment, and that has completely covered the runway of the country’s international airport with a thick layer to the point of rendering it unusable. Hundreds of volunteers sweep that surface to allow the landing and takeoff of planes that can transport basic aid. Food, medicine and, above all, drinking water. The deposits that existed before the eruption have been “severely affected” by the ash.
Communications were disrupted by the eruption, visible from space. The only submarine cable connecting Tonga with the rest of the world was severed. Internet is still not available. Yes, some local telephone services have been restored and attempts are being made to recover connections with the outside world, where many Tongans living abroad anxiously await news of their loved ones, whose situation they have not known since the outbreak.
The damage to communications has been such that, according to the World Health Organization, the exchange of information between UN agencies and the Government of Tonga has only been possible thanks to a satellite phone, operated by a single official.
Two New Zealand Navy ships set sail on Tuesday loaded with humanitarian aid bound for Tonga, where they are scheduled to arrive this Friday, while Australia has another ship ready with emergency aid, including 250,000 liters of drinking water and a desalination with the capacity to produce 70,000 liters, reports Efe. The two countries will also send C-130 Hercules planes with more cargo when the runway at the international airport has been cleared.
The Red Cross estimates that some 80,000 people, of the 105,000 inhabitants of the country, have been affected by this natural disaster, and experts do not rule out other incidents of volcanic activity.
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